Change
by RainOrTears
Summary: Of course, when something dramatic happens, it's always to our favorite heroes and heroines, correct? Well this is no different. Artemis and Holly embark on a new adventure this time around, that will make Artemis rethink the impact humans have on Earth.
1. Chapter One: Misfire

Hello world. So I've been slightly MIA for the past month or so, but what can I say? Life gets busy. Anyways don't kill me for starting a new story before I finish my other, because it bothers me deeply when others do that, and I feel like a big enough hypocrite.

On the subject of 'Unexpected', I honestly need some help deciding if I should finish it or not. You see, I've kind of lost my muse for it, which saddens me because it was so close to being done. So, I need to know if people still want to read it or not. I don't want reviews on this story about it because 'Unexpected' is completely unrelated to this. If you have any input you wish for me to know, send me a PM and I _will _thank you personally. Well, in a response that is. I guess I just want to know if anyone will be upset if I let it sit in the corner of my mind to gather dust, and if not, then I am completely okay with that too.

Now to those who have actually read all this gibbering of mine, and have no idea as to what I'm talking about, I'll shut up now.

_**

* * *

From the earth thine power flows,**_**  
**_**Given through courtesy, so thanks are owed.**_**  
**_**Pluck thou the magick seed,**_**  
**_**Where full moon, ancient oak and twisted water meet.**_**  
**_**And bury it far from where it was found,**_**  
**_**So return your gift into the ground...**_

The sprites should have thought before they acted. Holly certainly hoped that their mothers grounded them for life.

Typical male sprites; always trying to impress females.

Sneaking up to the surface and taking a joyride _directly_ over a highly populated city such as the capital of China, within the visible eye spectrum of humans, was not something that Holly found impressive. Especially when she had drained her magic shielding while trying to catch up to them, and mesmerizing humans when Foaly ran out of mind-wiping equipment. She had assured him that none of them would have residual memories of sprites flying above them by the time her shift was over.

Drained, she went to the closest ritual site, happy that her silver lining to the night happened to be a full moon.

Walking towards the ancient oak, she fingered her book, while looking for an acorn. Spying one dropped right on the edge of the bended river beside the tree, she nimbly picked it up. Tired, she walked a rough hundred meters before dropping to the ground and making a small hole. Once the acorn was buried, she stepped back readying herself for the jolt of energy about to enter her body.

Only it never came.

Already having her patience tested enough that night, she tapped her foot irritably, waiting for the magic to throb through her body and make her feel awake again.

It still never came.

Walking back over to the tree, she looked for an acorn closer to the oak and upon finding one, she walked in the opposite direction she had before, and planted the acorn. She closed her eyes…

And it still never came.

Tired as she was, she started to get a cold sweat in panic. This had never happened before…

Opening her communicator, she called the first speed dial. The familiar neigh came through on the other end, followed by a conceded, "Master Foaly speaking."

Holly rolled her eyes. "Foaly you know it's me. To be blunt, I have a problem."

On the other end of the line Foaly squinted painfully at the word 'problem'. "Holly I know you don't usually follow protocol, but I have a little rule that says 'no more than one tragic incident in the same night'."

"Me too, but…it's not tragic. I went to do the ritual and the acorns didn't work."

"That's impossible, they always work." He stated, clearly not believing her.

"But Foaly, I planted two, and nothing happened." She spoke slowly to get it through to him.

He sighed, burying his head in hands. When he spoke it came out as a muffled, "Send me a scan of your vitals through the helmet."

Holly did as she was told, then… "Done and done." She heard Foaly whistle as he scrolled through the readings, typed, clicked, gasped, clicked, clicked, clicked…wait _gasped?_

"Foaly what's wrong?" The cold sweat on the back of her neck was dripping of the ends of her grown out hair now. The panic was starting to get to her.

When he didn't answer, she asked again. "Foaly, what's wrong?"

He took a hard intake of breath when he finally stopped clicking. "Holly, how much juice is left in those wings?"

"Almost full; I did more of a running approach tonight…why?"

"I think you should take a trip to Ireland."

"Ireland? Foaly, do you want to start answering my questions?" She really wasn't appreciating the tone of seriousness in his voice.

"Ireland, Holly. I'll talk, you fly." And as she started up the silent engine to the new humming bird wings, she heard his hands flying across a keyboard frantically. Something was _not_ right.


	2. Chapter Two: A Lethal Promise

This is sort of a filler chapter, not really any action, but things needed to be explained. I think that Unexpected is going to take a backseat to this story. My muse for this story is just shining a lot brighter than the one for Unexpected. I am going to try to finish it, I just don't know when. So, if there's anyone who will still read it, thank you for being patient.

* * *

Once she had started to pick up speed, Holly spoke again. "Okay, I'm flying over Tibet. Foaly, explain. Now, please."

She heard static as the centaur sighed into his microphone. "Holly, your magic - I can't find it." He shook his head. "Usually when you're drained as you were after the mission tonight, there's still a sense of it and the ability to relinquish it, but I can't see that."

Holly's squinted in misunderstanding. "So, you're saying that my magic isn't showing up on your computer?" She shook her head. "Foaly speak plain Gnommish to me."

He sighed in frustration once again. "Well in an elf's body, there's a glowing flow, if you may, of magic that goes up and down the spine, connecting to many other paths or streams, which allow magic to travel through your body. It's like the flow of blood through your body. But, yours isn't showing any signs of glowing. It's almost as if it's been put out. Nothing else seems to be affected though."

She bit her lip hard. "So Artemis can help us, how?"

"Turns out Master Fowl has become quite the fairy anatomist in the past few years." Foaly, despite the current situation, laughed to himself.

"You're joking." Holly resisted the urge to drop her jaw.

"Graduated from the University of Progressive Sciences in Atlantis on an internet connected basis, under the name Carleton Green in year 2007. I can print out a copy of the degree certificate if you'd like?" He grinned toothily.

"No thank you." She squeaked. It was amazing what Foaly could find out about a person if you gave him access to a computer and five minutes of your time. She looked at her map; the glowing red dot that represented her form was flying over Greece. "So he's going to tell me what wrong? Foaly, I would think that there would be an actual _elf_ that would know more about our internal structure than a mud man."

Foaly nodded. "I would agree with you. However, Artemis graduated in a record breaking time and at the top of the class. He's our best hope."

"Always is," Holly replied as she swerved to hide from the view of a plane. "I'm almost over Dublin. I'll have Artemis call you once he's ready."

"Okay, and be careful Holly; my job will get a whole lot more boring if you're out of commission."

She rolled her eyes. "Foaly, you are so considerate."

"Good luck, Holly." He smiled as he terminated the link.

* * *

With his eyes closed, his fingers stroked the keys in a pattern committed to memory. The sounds of Bach harmonies filled the room.

He continued playing with his eyes closed as he addressed the new occupant in the room. "Yes, Butler?"

Unsurprised by Artemis' impeccable hearing, he continued towards the boy making no noise. "Holly's here, Artemis. She says it's important that she see you now."

Artemis continued to play as he responded with a simple, "Very well." And only when he felt two, then one presences in the room did he stop playing. He turned on the bench to find Holly, her brow wrinkled and her teeth looking as though they would bite a hole through her lip if she didn't speak soon.

"Holly, what's wrong?" He tried to not let the worried wobble of his voice to be heard by her.

She looked at him, a blank expression on her face, until she seemed to realize something. Then her eyes became glossy. Opening her mouth, she spoke Gnommish to the Irish teen.

"Artemis, I-I have a problem." The gloss in her eyes didn't disappear as she stated the obvious.

Artemis ignored what she said, and focused on the language she said it in. "Why won't you talk to me in English?"

She closed her eyes partially in frustration and partially to keep back tears. "Because I _can't_."

"What do you mean, you _can't_? Holly what's going on?" Artemis was getting annoyed that he was asking questions instead of giving answers.

"Foaly will explain." She played with her helmet for a couple minutes, trying to open a connection, all the while chanting, "Foaly will explain, he will explain. He will explain."

While he watched her attempt to do something that he could have achieved in seconds, Artemis was suddenly found himself wondering if what was wrong had anything to do with her mental state. Holly talking to herself like that?

When she finally got the link to work, Foaly projected a 3D view of himself into the room.

He nodded to his fellow genius. "Artemis."

Artemis nodded back. "Foaly," Then he nodded to Holly. "Captain Short says that you can explain something?"

"Ah, yes." He proceeded to explain what he had to Holly earlier.

After Foaly brought up a copy of the scan that Holly had sent him, a scan of her before the incident had happened, and then continuing to talk with Artemis about possibilities and other tests that may be needed to conduct on her, Holly left the two genii alone to get some air.

Leaving the room was relatively easy, only because Artemis and Foaly were so wrapped up in their conversation. Her brain was working the situation over and over. The gift of tongues was one form of magic that required the least amount of power. If she couldn't perform that then, did she have _any_ left? She had suspected that Foaly was exaggerating when he said that he couldn't find her magic – but what if…? She shook her head. She had two of the smartest beings in the world helping her; it would be okay. Taking deep breaths to calm herself down, she took the nearest door out of the manor. She walked until she stumbled upon a well kept garden, overflowing with blossoming flowers and plant life. The colours and smells together calmed her senses down, as she sat on the edge of a large water spouting fountain.

Taking in her surroundings all at once was difficult. There was so much more that went on above ground, even in a secluded area like Fowl manor, that she always missed.

Holly turned to look into the fountain water, seeing her reflection staring back at her. She wiped the oncoming tears from her eyes, then rolled them. Ridiculous. She was one of the top captains in the LEP. She did _not_ cry. But, her magic was at stake. Which meant that her job was at stake. Which meant that her life was at stake. By the time that she had gone over the possibilities tears were threatening to pour over her lower eyelids again and she was close to biting a hole in her lip.

"Holly?"

Her eyes went wide at Artemis' voice. She quickly wiped the tears in her eyes with the heel of her hand before he could see them.

"Artemis?" She turned around to see him rounding the corner. He nodded as he sat down next to her.

He sighed. "Holly, I believe I know why your magic isn't working."

Holly's eyebrows rose; she knew he was good, but not that good. "Well what is it?" Judging by the creases in his brow, she didn't know if she wanted him to continue.

"Well, you did the ritual in China, Beijing to be precise according to Foaly. A few years ago, Beijing was awarded the title of the most air polluted capital of the world. As everybody knows, trees absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen through photosynthesis. This means that the oak that you performed the ritual through was probably polluted. So the acorns that it produced were also polluted. And when your magic touched the polluted acorns, there was a chance that you would become infected too."

Holly's brow knitted in confusion. "So," She emphasized the vowels in her voice. "That means that I'm _infected_?"

Artemis shook his head quickly. "Just that your magic is; however there is a risk that your brain could become infected because of the link with the Mesmer. Which if that happens, then well, to be blunt, it wouldn't be good."

"Because my brain would be _infected._" She spit the word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Artemis nodded, slightly sympathetic. "That would be correct." Then he looked away from her. "Foaly wants you to stay here for a few days - so that we can run tests."

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "Can't he run tests below ground?"

Artemis pursed his lips and looked down, suddenly interested in his shoes. "He thinks that there is a possibility that it could," Pausing, he looked up to see the reflection of blue and brown eyes that matched his own, the hazel seemed to tame the intensity of the blue. "He thinks it could be contagious. And when we were done talking, he said he was going to talk to the council about whether or not you would be allowed to come back underground."

Her mouth formed a small 'o' shape, before she clasped her hand over it in disbelief. When she spoke, her voice sounded small and scared. "And your ideas about cures?"

"I'm working on it. I'm going to need more time though." He looked confident that he could help, so Holly closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm going to need a place to stay." She stated quietly.

He nodded. "Certainly; Butler should be preparing a room for you as we speak."

She gave a slight nod, before walking towards a door to the manor. The blank expression that she was giving him showed that she was trying to be optimistic but the reasonable side of her brain was overpowering her efforts. He wanted to reassure her that he would figure it out, that she didn't need to worry. "Holly," She turned to him staring into his eyes dully. He cleared his throat. "I will find a cure. I promise." She gave him a stiff smile and nodded, then turned and disappeared through the door.

Artemis turned to the water in the fountain to look at his reflection. He knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let Holly down this time. It was hard enough to see hurt in her eyes, especially when they were a mirror of his own; but that blank void of nothingness that she had shown him was an expression he had not known his eyes were capable of performing.

He had to get this one right.


End file.
